EGA – A Gymnastics Academy for Everyone.

This past month of May, EGA (Elite Gymnastics Academy) opened its doors in Doral. We had the opportunity to talk with Andreina Angulo, the head coach, who explained to us how this project was born. Andreina has years of experience doing gymnastics in Venezuela where she participated in the national team and in regional competitions. A passionate of gymnastics, she has a lot of expertise in this discipline, not only practicing the sport itself but also by managing two gymnasiums in her home country. However she realized that to grow in this discipline it was necessary to come to the U.S. because “here is where you find, the best gymnastics in the world.”

EGA offers a diversity of programs. Angulo clarifies, “This project is different because, more than a place to do gymnastics, what we were looking for a was a facility where the children who wanted to practice this sport could do so at any level. Most of the gyms in South Florida, have an approach that gymnastics is used as a way to get ahead, in other words it gives them the opportunity to be able to travel and make a living. However we wanted to offer a location where the children could see this discipline as a fun activity that they could practice without feeling the pressures of competing, but simply to have a place where they could keep their bodies and minds healthy. We believe that anyone who sets to it can do gymnastics. If you start at a young age then you might have the opportunity to get farther, but we do not give anyone a label.”

EGA covers over 14,000 square feet in a state of the art installation. Angulo and her team (which includes Veronica Suarez, owner and investor; Veronica de la Cruz, administrator and Jose Teran, the co-head coach) feel that the city of Doral has been very receptive with them. “Even though we have just opened we have had an incredible acceptance,” says Angulo. The team performed a complete market analysis, and found that the location of our city is privileged due to the route accesses that allow them to cover not only local residents but also the population of Broward County, specifically Weston. Angulo adds, “Doral is an area in expansion and growth, and the gyms that were here did not have an organized program like the one we offer.”

EGA is a center that is distinguished by its training system, work organization, and the experience of the trainers. Andreina explains, “We are constantly attending courses and clinics, learning, getting updated with innovative and new techniques. We continually have to evolve and we must grow as coaches, we are very demanding in that.” The name says it all; it is elite, which means something better than the rest!

In EGA all the students have a goal, they need to train but at the same time they have fun. If they wish and have the capacity they can compete. Gymnastics is a discipline that requires a high level of maturity. If you are working by obligation you will not get the results, it is necessary that the child feels happy to come to train, that he or she pushes the parents to come…it is the only way to succeed. Angulo says, “Discipline is based on respect, and if we do not maintain these parameters we cannot work. We offer parents peace of mind in that the children are well taken care of, and that they are learning in a professional environment.”

This is a high-performance sport with a lot of competitiveness, however everything can end in just one second. Angulo explains, “The difference with other disciplines, is that in gymnastics you have only one opportunity. A gymnast gets up on the balance beam and if she or he falls then it feels like the end of the world. If your mind works only to win the competition then the gymnast can feel all is lost, but if he or she works to enjoy the training, and the competition is part of that training, then the fall is a lesson but it is not the end of everything. We do not work only to win the competition. What matters is to keep on going.” All this Angulo learned from her experience as a gymnast, which she practiced for almost 15 years. “Gymnastics is a sport that makes you feel independent, you become a mature person, confident, because many of the exercises or routines involve a higher level of responsibility for a boy or girl of any given age.”

Andreina ends by saying, “More than a business, gymnastics is my life. I love working with children, and training is my passion.” EGA has competitive and recreational classes, cheerleading and soon they will offer fencing. The facility can also be rented out for parties and they are going to have a very complete summer camp.

If you require more information you can visit the web page: www.egamiami.com or call 786-2121065.